Although Halloween is two weeks away, it’s
definitely not too early to decide how to celebrate this popular
holiday. There are few better places to celebrate it than Hawai‘i,
where Halloween is as diverse as the people who live here.

The biggest, most popular Halloween celebration
takes place in Lahaina, Mau‘i, on well-known Front Street.
The “Mardi Gras of the Pacific,” as it is called,
has been around since 1990 and is much more than a costume
parade. There are haunted houses, costume contests, a children’s
costume parade, food, crafts, and live entertainment. This
event is so popular that Front Street is closed from 3 p.m.
to shortly before midnight in order to accommodate the thousands
of people it attracts each year.

If you can’t make it to Lahaina, there are many events
on O‘ahu starting October 15 with the Talk Story Festival
at McCoy Pavilion, where you can enjoy “SpoOoOky stories” for
free starting at 7 p.m.

On Oct. 22 and 23 at 6 p.m., the annual Ewa Beach Halloween
Bash will be held at the Ewa Beach Community Park. The following
weekend,
Ewa is the place for “Spookapalooza,” Oct. 29 and
30 at the Hawaiian railway on Renton Road. The train riders are
entertained with ghost stories from Hawai‘i’s past.

Barbers Point (Kalaeloa) also gets involved in Halloween festivities
with a haunted house and an annual “Haunted Hayride” at
the Barbers Point stables.

For the many HPU students who live in Waikiki, in the downtown
area, or in between, there are also a lot of Honolulu events.
Most of them will occur just before Halloween itself and come
in the form of sales and costume contests. One of the larger
events will be at the Victoria Ward Centers, which will create
a “Halloween Trick-or-Treat Street” on Oct. 30 from
6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Participating merchants in all Ward centers
will hang black bats in their doorways for the all day trick-or-treaters.
This event is mostly for children, but anyone can participate.

For those willing to pay a price for some Halloween fun, there
is also a “Ghost Ship Halloween Sail” in Waianae
for a $95 donation to the Wild Dolphin Foundation. The cruise
departs at sunset and features ghost stories.

For those on a budget, the biggest free attraction is perhaps
Kalakaua Avenue, also called “The Strip of Waikiki,” which
usually features a costume parade on Halloween. Many people stay
overnight in Waikiki to witness the festivities and the inventive
costumes.

No matter what you decide to do or see this Halloween, the
key is to plan early! More events will be announced closer
to Halloween,
so keep an eye on the local newspapers. Have a fun and safe Halloween!